Special Edition Z06 Corvette to be auctioned at Barret-Jackson, proceeds earmarked for Haiti relief

The horrible tragedy in Haiti has hit the world like a sledge hammer, and relief efforts and charitable donations have been flooding into the grief-stricken island. Car companies have been quick to donate money in the wake of the earthquake, and now special edition vehicles are hitting the auction block to provide still more assistance. Chrysler announced that it was donating a 300C with 300 signatures from A-list celebs like Tom Hanks and Merryl Streep (full story coming soon), and now General Motors is following up on its $100,000 cash donation with a special edition Corvette.

The Vette in question is one of 427 Special Edition 2008 Corvette Z06 models with former Corvette Plant Manager Will Cooksey's signature and vehicle number on the center console. The Special Edition Z06 is also the only 2008 model that sports Crystal Red Metallic Tint Coat paint, a Stinger-style stripe on the front hood and fascia and a painted Z06 spoiler. This Vette becomes more prestigious due to the fact that it is the 427th and last copy of the limited series. The Z06 will be auctioned off at the 39th annual Barret-Jackson event on January 23. Hit the jump to read over The General's press release.

Chevrolet announces the 2008 Corvette 427 Special Edition Z06, a limited-production model that pays homage to the big-block Stingray models of the mid-1960s. The 427 designation refers to the cubic-inch displacement for the highest-performance engines offered in 1966 and '67 � and is also the cubic-inch equivalent of the Z06's 7.0L LS7 small-block V-8. The Corvette 427 features a Crystal Red Tintcoat exterior paint with stinger-style graphics and 427 hood badges, new-style chrome wheels, body-color rear spoiler and door handles, and a dark titanium leather-appointed interior. The 2008 Corvette 427 Special Edition Z06 will make its first public appearance at the Cleveland Auto Show on February 22, 2008. (Photo by Alan Poizner for General Motors) X08SN_SN048 (United States)

Chevrolet announces the 2008 Corvette 427 Special Edition Z06, a limited-production model that pays homage to the big-block Stingray models of the mid-1960s. The 427 designation refers to the cubic-inch displacement for the highest-performance engines offered in 1966 and '67 - and is also the cubic-inch equivalent of the Z06's 7.0L LS7 small-block V-8. The Corvette 427 features a Crystal Red Tintcoat exterior paint with stinger-style graphics and 427 hood badges, new-style chrome wheels, body-color rear spoiler and door handles, and a dark titanium leather-appointed interior. The 2008 Corvette 427 Special Edition Z06 will make its first public appearance at the Cleveland Auto Show on February 22, 2008. (Photo by Alan Poizner for General Motors) X08SN_SN049 (United States)

The proceeds, which will be donated to the American Red Cross relief fund, are in addition to a $100,000 contribution from the GM Foundation to the Red Cross.

"This is a very good example of the compassion GM employees have," said Ed Welburn, Vice President of GM Design. Welburn will call the vehicle to the stage to start the bidding process at the event.

The limited edition 2008 Chevrolet Corvette was the last of 427 cars built specifically for North America and the only 2008 Z06 available in Crystal Red Metallic Tint Coat. Sporting a 7.0L V8 engine with 505 hp, the Corvette contains spider design chrome Z06 wheels, Z06 plates, a Stinger-style stripe on the front hood and fascia, chrome exterior badges and a painted Z06 spoiler and body color door handles. Inside, the Corvette contains a Dark Titanium leather-wrapped interior and special Crystal Red center trim plate.

All 427 of the limited edition Corvettes were signed and numbered in the center console area by Will Cooksey, the Corvette plant manager who retired in 2006 after 15 years running the plant. The Corvette also features "427" hood badges and engine cover emblems and "427" seat and floor mat embroidery.

The Corvette is Lot #1318 and will be auctioned on Saturday evening, Jan. 23, at the Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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Anonymous

Anonymous

5 Years Ago

ChrisO:

I would agree if the monies offered were truly with no strings attached. You'd have to dig deeper to the sources of monies and what conditions they were offered with. The IMF and WorldBank rarely...rarely offer money unconditionally. They are the drivers for putting desperate countries under incredible distress economically so that the pound of flesh by the US can be later reclaimed.

The fine print is indeed important to note. Contributions from myself, my friends, and people like you and I are of course, unconditional.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

5 Years Ago

@Nozferat:

I'll be the first to agree that the US shouldn't be in the business of arbitrarily removing unfriendly regimes and replacing them with puppet governments. The fact that it happens is horrible, but not wholly relevant to the point that the original poster was making.

The original poster wrote:"it's still the U.S. and our companies doing the most for people around the world"

Since proper grammar and the requisite punctuation don't necessarily make more than a fleeting appearance here, it's difficult to know what the original poster actually meant. It could be that he missed a comma, and was saying that the companies IN the US are leaders in charitable donation. It could also be that he meant it exactly as it was written.

If the latter is indeed the case, then I can still understand why he might feel that way. The US government recently gave significant aid to Haiti, Brazil, China, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. None of the goods, services, or monies were loans, so they are by definition charitable conributions. This point is not mutually exclusive to the point you made.

Anonymous

5 Years Ago

It's not a contest....and that's my point. The evidence is in the history of this country and how it has interacted with other countries in the past. Destroying countries and then building them up while claiming charitably is repugnant.

I doubt few on this thread...particularly the usual suspects who holler the crap they've been hollering would understand. If you notice, the comments by a couple of others here make it seem like a contest.....dumbass comments like "what did you donate?" are a perfect example.